1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a total energy heating unit, e.g., a stove or furnace, in particular a heating unit that will not only provide heat but also hot water and electricity as well.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Over the past several years, and particularly since the beginning of the so-called "energy crisis", there has been an ever increasing interest in energy conservation and development. While much of that interest was generated initially due to the shortage and increasing price of gasoline, individuals, and particularly homeowners, now more fully realize just how dependent they have become upon oil, as an energy source. Thus, the shortage of oil and its ever increasing price has resulted not only in increased gasoline prices, and the attendant increased cost in operating an automobile, but also increases of the same magnitude in the purchase of home heating oil. And, as much electricity is generated by a power plant's use of oil, not only has the homeowner found it dramatically more costly in recent years to heat his home, it also costs more for electricity.
As a result of the ever increasing cost of oil, many homeowners have sought ways to avoid, or at least alleviate in some way, their dependence upon oil as a major source of fuel. Accordingly, there has been an increasing interest in and a return to coal and wood, as a fuel source, particularly in the heating of one's home. Thus, there have developed in more recent years a variety of coal and wood burning stoves, and a return to using such stoves as were used years ago, particularly as space heaters, in the heating of an individual room.
In many parts of the country where coal was plentiful, and particularly before the environmentalists concern with the use of coal, and coal became more costly than oil to use, homes were commonly centrally heated with coal burning furnaces. And the heat generated from the burning coal was used either to provide forced air central heating or convection heating by means of circulating hot water.